Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Monstrous fate, most unkind!

That's just it. I've been cheated. I was supposed to have a five-day holiday and a holiday is the furthest thing from what happened. Not one day of being, reading, sleeping, working on photos, or catching up with blogging, mailing. Instead, five days passed in a blur of KP duty.

I've also just found out that every (or almost every!) idiot on Earth's getting to do everything I want to do. While I must sit here, biding my time. Smiling sweetly. Pretending not to be seriously annoyed.

Life's often unfair, I told a dear friend the other night. But really, what's so unreasonable about these things happening to a person? Among many, many, many others, of course.
  • Road tripping from Panjim to Kanyakumari with endless rolls of Fuji Superia 100.
  • Experiencing the Rann of Kutch at sunset.
  • Spending a month in the North East of India.
  • An art historian taking me on a tour of Le Louvre.
  • An architect walking me around New York, Morocco, Damascus, and Florence.
  • Lunch with Umberto Eco.
  • Dinner with Gordon Ramsey - at his own restaurant.
  • Breakfast with Jonathan Stroud.
  • Days spent with Steve McCurry.
  • The first violinist of a string quartet explaining chamber music to me - in Vienna.
  • The only real musician I know teaching me how to sing.
  • Front row seats at U2, Marc Cohn, and Tori Amos concerts.
  • Chris Cornell singing Ave Maria for me - live.
  • Learning the nuances of the Gregorian chant.
  • Backpacking across Europe participating in every festival on the way.
  • The Master Blender at Glenfiddich teaching me how to be one.
  • Talking with a socialist/marxist Catholic priest about the Holy See.
  • Eating the perfect paella in Barcelona.
  • A pint of Guiness built by a handsome Irishman quoting Yeats - in Dublin.
  • Being taught how to Samba on the streets of Rio de Janeiro - during Carnival.
  • Desperately wanting to be in New York City. This second.
  • A conversation in flawless Latin about the Song of Solomon.
And now that I've made a list of it, it seems even more unfair that I haven't got to do any of this. That's just it - I want out and I want my money back. Sigh...

And oh? Any smart ones about why any of the famous people on this list would do these things for me? Well, the answers are simple. One, I don't want anything from them - no personal gain except the pleasure of picking their minds. Two, I'm worth their time. :-)

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

fantastic list :)

esp. the roadtripping ones (also the most probable) :)

Anonymous said...

and then you'll find it's all over-rated. especially the chamber music. :)

Anonymous said...

BEST bloody list i've ever seen though.

Anonymous said...

Not that I want to do all of these items on your list (certainly no lunching with Umberto, or handsome Irishmen bringing me beer and so on) but I am going to do atleast 2 of them by next year!

Yay.

How high does 2 weeks in Tibet and a trip to Macchuu Picchuu feature on your list?

./w

G Shrivastava said...

If only wishes...

Ok cut that, coz it would make a rather expected response na and we like to surprise and please...so tell you what, when you find that magic lamp which makes even half of these come true, first make sure you ask me for which I wanna tag along, then pass that lamp onto me...there are some things I'd like to see happening on this end of the world as well! ;-)

*hugs*

Anonymous said...

i believe you get good paella at a restaurant in Greenwich village... i also believe that is where NYU is... BUT that snide remark aside, what does it take to get an email from you?

Extempore said...

@Jedi: Thanks! :) Some of the other stuff - the only real musician I know teaching me how to sing etc - are quite doable too!

@Isis: Thank you, sweetie, I left out a couple of things, though! :D And how can chamber music ever be over-rated?

@./W: Both figure quite high - esp if you'd like to come with me to Macchu Picchu! :) They were on my list but somehow, in the writing of it, they got lost in memory.

@Geets: You've got it - esp in my travels to the Continent! *hugs back*

@B: Well, I'll look forward to your showing me the place! Mail? In a bit! *hug*

RTD2 said...

Hmm...Thanks for reminding me that there's so much more to do in life!! I'm somewhat inclined to agree with Isis though. BUT...the thing is, in my experience, you might find that 'it' is all over-rated, but in the journey there, you find some unmatched moments. Here's to those!

Brood Mode said...

deja vu!

Backpacking in Europe is so very dear to me too... I'm not dying before I do it.

Casablanca said...

Sweety, I love your list. It is so... ummm... honest? And optimistic :)

Extempore said...

@Sagar: Hey, thanks very much! All of this is because of work really! I don't get to do anything because I'm at work so long and then everything piles up for the weekends and breaks! :)

@RTD2: Agreed... just so long as we get started!

@Brood Mode: Me too! Perhaps we can catch up somewhere in Italy. ;-)

@Casa: Thank you, my dear. Honest? I don't know about that but it's certainly heartfelt! :)